A year later, Hadiya back in college
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Hadiya Jehan is back in college.The 24-year-old Hindu woman who converted to marry a Muslim youth reached Sivaraj Homeopathy Medical College in Tamil Nadu’s Salem on Tuesday night amid tight security.
This was possible after the Supreme Court asked Hadiya on Monday to return to her college, freeing her from the custody of her parents in Kerala.
A crowd of students and teachers waited to greet her late in the evening. The college security was beefed up in accordance with the top court’s order that directed Tamil Nadu to ensure her safety.
A group of people gathered at the gates and shouted slogans when she reached the girls hostel, but police dispersed them quickly. Teachers and staff remember the shy and introvert Akhila Ashokan who joined their college for a bachelor’s degree in homeopathy in 2011. She completed her four-and-a-half-year course, but couldn’t complete the 11-month house surgeon internship mandatory for the degree.
“She left the college in 2015 citing personal problems. We have no issues in welcoming her back. We are in touch with the district administration and police authorities to ensure foolproof security to her,” said Kalpana Sivaraj, managing director of the college.
College dean G Kannan, who was appointed her local guardian, said her stay and other arrangements will be sorted out after consulting her and civic officials. “I will ensure she completes the course without a hitch,” he said. According to PTI, Kannan told the media that Hadiya will be treated as one of the inmates of the hostel and that no special treatment will be accorded to her. She will be registered as Akhila Ashokan in the college, he added.
Hadiya was allegedly recruited by the Islamic State terrorist group and her husband, who she married last December, was only a stooge. Retired military man Ashokan KM, her father, alleged there was a “well-oiled systematic mechanism” for conversion and Islamic radicalisation.
On the father’s plea, the Kerala high court annulled her marriage with 27-year-old Shafin Jehan and sent her to her parents in Thiruvananthapuram. The husband challenged the order in SC.
Shefin, who returned to Kozhikode, said it was a big victory for him and the court did not give any order preventing him from meeting his wife. “I don’t think there is any problem in meeting her at the college. Throughout her trip to New Delhi she insisted on meeting me. I hope our separation will end gradually,” he said.